


The Penguin Plushie

by Mechanical_Curse



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Season/Series 04 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24074716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mechanical_Curse/pseuds/Mechanical_Curse
Summary: It’s the beginning of winter in Gotham. As the temperature drops, Oswald’s limping gets worse, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Edward.And since he can’t stand to watch his boyfriend hurting, he decides he must do something about it.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Comments: 17
Kudos: 98





	The Penguin Plushie

Edward’s gaze was fixated on Oswald as they walked through the busy streets of Gotham. Winter was slowly settling in. The air was cold and a thin layer of snow was covering the pavement. With his brilliant mind, Riddler couldn’t help but notice how Oswald’s limping had gotten worse even since the temperatures went down.

Oswald also winced out of pain more often, even though he tried his best to hide it, proud as he were. Also, whenever he had a moment alone, he would massage the skin near his ankle. Another person would have missed all these little signs, but not Edward.

This couldn’t stand. He wouldn’t let his lover suffer from anything, not on his watch. And so, he decided it was time for him to do something about this.

* * *

They had just finished dinner and moved to the couch in front of the fireplace when Edward decided to act. Oswald was cuddled up close to him, his head resting on Edward’s shoulder. The wind was howling outside, which made the warmth of the Van Dahl mansion even cozier.

However, despite how relaxed they were, Oswald just wouldn’t stop fidgeting and moving his bad leg, as if he didn’t know in which position to put it. Edward frowned at his discomfort, then he slowly left the couch, but not before leaving a tender kiss on Oswald’s forehead.

“What are you doing?” Penguin asked, confused.

“I’m taking care of you.”

He kneeled on the floor, then he rolled up the leg of Oswald’s pant so he could reach the skin. With careful hands, he started kneading his sensitive ankle.

“There, applying warmth should…”

What he didn’t expect, however, was that Oswald would panic. He tried to get away, and in the process, accidently kicked Edward right in the chin. The Riddler let out a gasp of pain just as Oswald’s eyes widened as he realized what he had just done.

“Oh my god Ed, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to! Please tell my you’re alright!”

In a second, he was by his side, an arm wrapped around Edward’s shoulders. With gentle fingers, he turned Edward’s face towards him so that he could evaluate the damages. His eyes were shiny with tears and grief.

“It’s okay, Oswald, I’m fine. I was more surprised than hurt, to be honest.”

“You’re not telling me that just so I’ll feel better?”

“I’m not, I promise. I would like to know why you reacted that way though.”

Oswald closed his eyes for an instant, clearly embarrassed. His lover found it endearing, but that wouldn’t deter him from finding out what made him so distressed.

“You know you can tell me anything, Oswald. I will never judge you.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just… Remember when Sofia Falcone manipulated me into thinking she cared about me? Well, massaging my leg was one of the things she did to win my trust. That’s not really good memories for me, but still, I’m sorry I reacted on impulse…”

Upon hearing this, Edward wished he could put his hands on Sofia to make her pay ten times for what she did. Instead, he pulled Oswald into his arms and ran a hand through his black hair in a reassuring gesture.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I should have asked if this was alright with you first. I just wanted to make you feel better, I’m sorry.”

His gentle touch seemed to be enough to comfort Oswald. However, as they got back on the couch, he noticed how his lover grimaced when he had to lean on his bad foot. Edward couldn’t help but be disappointed by his own failure. Still, he wouldn’t give up so easily. If this plan didn’t succeed, he only needed to think of a better one.

* * *

When he came back to the mansion, Oswald felt exhausted. He had spent the day making sure all the men under his orders would pay their debt to him and that no one would dare defy his authority. The pain in his leg only worsened when he pushed himself too hard, and it was one of those days. All he wanted was to enjoy some well-deserved rest, preferably in the arms of his boyfriend.

However, he was taken aback when he found said boyfriend waiting for him with the biggest smile on his face and an unsettling gift in his hands. Oswald barely repressed the urge to facepalm. He was too tired to deal with something like this.

“Edward, my love, can you please tell me what this is?”

“What is black on one side, white on the other and…”

“I can recognize a penguin when I see one, Ed, no need for riddles. Now, let me repeat myself: _What is this?_ ”

Edward looked slightly disappointed that he didn’t get to finish his riddle, if his pout was anything to go by. However, his expression quickly changed back to a joyous and eager one.

“A penguin plushie. It’s for you.”

As Edward handed his unexpected gift, Oswald examined it a little more closely. It was heavy in his hands. The Riddler had also attached a purple ribbon around the plushie’s neck, along with a small card that read _For Oswald_.

“And what exactly am I supposed to do with a plushie? Also, did it really have to be a penguin?”

“What can I say, penguins are cute. I would know, after all, I’m dating one.”

Edward leaned in to put a light kiss on his lips, just as Oswald’s cheeks turned red. Even if that didn’t solve the penguin plushie mystery, he couldn’t say he didn’t like it.

“When did you become so smooth?”

“Come on Oswald, you know I’m not.”

Edward chuckled as he readjusted his glasses. Oswald was about to drag him into another, hopefully more passionate, kiss, when his lover’s eyes fell back onto the plushie.

“Okay, back to the subject at hand. _This_ ” He pointed at the penguin “is a microwavable plushie. I thought it could help you with your leg.”

“A microwavable penguin plushie?” Oswald asked with skepticism filling his voice.

He rose an eyebrow, now even more confused by this whole ordeal, but Edward was so caught up in his enthusiasm that he didn’t notice.

“Exactly! See, it’s filled with wheat grain, so that when you put it in the microwave it will…”

“Ed, please get to the point. My head still hurts from all the work I had today, and even if I love you, I don’t think I have it in me to listen to a whole presentation about plushies.”

“Okay, I’ll go with the short version then. To put it simply, it acts like a heat pad, so I thought it could help with your ankle.”

Oswald was about to protest, to say that he didn’t need anything of the sort, but Edward cut him before he could refuse his present.

“Listen, you don’t have to use it right now, but keep it just in case, please? I’ll feel better if I know you have a solution to soothe your pain.”

There were a thousand reasons why Oswald shouldn’t have given in, the first one being that none of the mobsters working under his orders would respect him anymore if they discovered he kept a plushie. However, he just couldn’t say no to his boyfriend. Damn Ed and his puppy eyes.

“Fine, I’ll keep it, but only because you offered it to me.”

When Edward pulled him into a tight hug in answer, the plushie stuck between them, Oswald decided it was all worth it.

* * *

It was the middle of the night. Oswald was laying next to Edward, one arm wrapped around his lover’s waist, when he woke. He took a quick glance at their alarm clock and let out a groan. 3 AM. And with the way his bad leg was throbbing, something told him he wouldn’t be falling back asleep any time soon.

However, he still tried to achieve it by burying his head in his pillow, stubborn as he was. He stayed like this for a few minutes, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, before he gave up and rolled over. That’s when he saw it, the damn plushie, resting on his bedside table.

“Not happening.” He muttered before pulling the covers close to his chest.

But as he stayed still in the semi darkness, with his bedroom silent except for Edward’s steady breathing, his determination began to waver. In the end, the ache in his ankle won this battle. Carefully, he untangled himself from Edward’s body, not wanting to disturb his sleep. He got out of bed, then grabbed the plushie before heading to the kitchen.

Once there, he quickly read the instructions that were still attached to the penguin before putting it in the microwave. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long before he could take the plushie out. As Edward had promised, it seemed to conserve the warmth. With his prize in hand, he hobbled back to his bedroom.

He thanked whatever god could possibly watch over criminals like him that Edward was still peacefully asleep when he returned in their bed. He was pretty sure he would never hear the end of the teasing if his boyfriend surprised him while he was actually using the plushie.

Oswald put it over his hurting feet, right before draping the covers over himself once more. Part of him didn’t believe that this would work, so he was surprised when the pain actually started regressing. In a matter of minutes, the throb that kept him awake almost disappeared. With a yawn, he let his head fall back against his pillow before wrapping his arms around Edward once more. The constant heartbeat of his lover worked better on him than the sweetest of the lullabies and soon enough, he drifted back into sleep.

* * *

Once he was sure Oswald wouldn’t wake up, Edward dared to open an eye to take a peek at him. As much as he wanted to gloat, he knew that Oswald would surely throw the plushie away if he teased him and that would be counterproductive.

A triumphant smiled was splattered on his lips as he noticed a lump in the covers, right where the plushie was warming up his boyfriend’s leg. He couldn’t help but feel a burst of pride at witnessing how comfortable Oswald looked as he slept, the pain in his ankle forgotten.

Yet another problem solved by the great Riddler.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](https://newt-no-newt-yes.tumblr.com/)


End file.
